Originally Posted by
GBadger
Unless you've taken the flight already, or booked two seats, how in the WORLD would you possibly know this?
With NW giving upgrades to PE/GEs, nonrevs, and PMUs in the mix, I wouldn't be certain that the seat next to me would be open, until the door is closed and we're in the air. Even then, I'd watch for crew looking to get some rest.
Point well taken, but clearly the larger MSP 333 has a lighter load at this point than the MEM 332. At this moment, only 3 seats are claimed MSP-AMS whereas 14 are marked for MEM-AMS. I looked at the MSP-AMS seatmap and said this is the way to spell paradise and I say this based on other loads not unlike this one during the recession.
Also, should I miss the original connection I would want to get on the afternoon flight the next day from MSP which would stress my schedule but not break it. I have had some good success in this regard lately with DL even switching me from CDG to AMS over an in-bound RJ that was late but not too late to make the original connection in ATL. That moved me to an airport I know well and from a 763 to a 764 and snagged one of my favorite seats.
BTW, you can tell what I think of DL's performance OKC-ATL because I never book an international flight through there without a 2 hour connection and last year literally ran through the airport to slump into my seat at the last possible minute. My optimism for this June itinerary was based on the last two tours through MSP.
UPDATE: Tonight the OKC-MSP flight left early and was 30 minutes early again like last night. The arrival gate was A last night and C tonight